A Discussion with Roy Messer, Earlham College Soccer Coach of 27 Years

Note: This is the fourth part of my American Soccer Road Trip, which will involve me traveling across the country, finding stories that exemplify the diversity that exists in American soccer. Check back soon for further updates.

The United States is one of the few countries in which serious athletic competition takes place within its institutions of higher education. The combination of sports and school that most people are familiar with is big-time, Division 1 American football and basketball teams. Especially in the top programs, players see their time playing in college as a stepping-stone to a professional career, and it is an open secret that many such athletes rarely study, if they do at all.

The title student-athlete is often used to refer to such players, but it is truly a misnomer. To find true student-athletes, you have to leave the huge campuses of Ohio State, the University of Texas, UCLA, and the like, and go to Division III schools. The athletes at such schools are there for education first and play sports simply for fun. With enrollments that number a fraction of those at large universities and a relatively less serious approach to sports, such Division III institutions are often ignored.

Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana is such a Division III school (it’s also my alma mater and where I played soccer in 1998 and 1999). A Quaker school founded in 1847, it has established a strong reputation among liberal arts colleges. Earlham fields a variety of sports teams, none of which have a particularly strong record of success.

For the past 27 years, the coach of Earlham’s men’s soccer team has been Roy Messer. In his time at Earlham, Messer has had plenty of time to reflect on the role his teams play in the college community. He sat down with me recently and talked about the uniquely American way of mixing athletics and academics, and the role of soccer at a college like Earlham.

Roy Messer (front left) accepting an award in 2005 for his 25 years as head coach of Earlham College (photo: Earlham College)

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